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All the news about Gridiron in AustraliaThu, 17 Aug 2017 23:00:52 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.1105944981Gridiron Victoria Division 1 – Week 10 (or Week 6 of Div 1)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GridironDownUnder/~3/WaVL8MFGeCM/
http://gridirondownunder.com/2017/08/gridiron-victoria-division-1-week-10-or-week-6-of-div-1/#respondThu, 17 Aug 2017 22:36:36 +0000http://gridirondownunder.com/?p=26257Back to the freezing conditions of Victoria, I already missed the idea of watching games under the sun with a nice cold beverage. With the first run against all opponents in the bag, we now look to the future. Div 1 is starting to feel like Gridiron in SA, where so few teams are available to play in the division that monotony may start to become the curse for the back half of the season. With 9 teams in
With 9 teams in Queensland and 12 teams in NSW, I have to question the local voices claiming GV contains the best local product. Watching a team like the Sunshine Coast Spartans get a big win after suffering several years of hard losses makes you realise development was never meant to be an easy path.

Croydon Rangers 2nd (4 – 1) vs. Western Crusaders 1st (5 – 0)

Last Time: Crusaders won 32 – 13

Now that all teams have played each other, these 2 teams sit as the cream of the crop. The Crusaders continue down the path towards winning their 4th Vic Bowl and 10 years since their last one. This team is well placed to cruise through the season without a loss, but they face their “closest opponent” this week. The coaching staff would now have a solid base of film on every opponent, and they will be closely analysing patterns, flaws, and adjustments made since they last played. While Croydon may be sitting second on the ladder, I am not sure the Crusaders have felt troubled by any Croydon unit for quite some time. The Crusaders will be relishing the rainy conditions, which reduce output from their Offense, but also make their Defense just short of impenetrable. The Crusaders will be looking to muscle the ball down the field, tearing up everything green that attempts to stand in their way, be it a Ranger or a blade of grass.

Croydon will enter this game with an air of contained confidence to improve on their performance in Week 1. In hindsight, one might suggest that a loss by a mere 19 points against the Cru was not a bad start, it appears as though the Crusader’s Offense may have improved by a greater percentage than Croydon’s. Croydon will be buoyed by a return to their home ground until you recall that was the location of their only loss this season. Croydon does not historically handle the physicality of the Crusaders, and until they can get this monkey off their back, I do not see them worrying the Crusaders at any stage of this game. Croydon sits second, and well and truly deserve the title of the team most likely to lose against the Crusaders in the Vic Bowl, but this is the game where Croydon either prove they no longer fear the Cru, or they display just how large the gap is between 1st and 2nd in GV.

Last Time: Geelong won 20 – 16

Let’s look back at Round 1, where we saw these teams as both in rebuild mode, with both teams possibly only having these games as an opportunity for a win. The Preds have managed a steady improvement from week to week, in spite of taking a few large losses. While scores may show how dominant one team was over the other, in the case of the Preds it shows lapses in concentration that are not uncommon with inexperienced teams. Putting up 12 points against the Rangers in last week’s game was a HUGE step-up for this squad. Not letting their opponents score 50 or more points, another HUGE step-up. Yes, it is possible the weather helped their Def on one hand, it would also have hampered their Offense making the 12 points an even greater achievement. To every player that turns up for every game, every training session and helps support off field efforts, you are the foundations this club will develop from. Losses are tough, but hiding from them makes you weak. Keep up the great work Preds.

Has the sleeping giant slowly started to stir down Corio way? Not likely, but it appears this team was far too proud to just hand over their playoff spot to the team from Parkville. While the result was not a shock to myself, I am sure it did cause a few ripples through a few teams. Geelong are the kings of the mud and have surely been doing rain dances as part of their warm ups. While 4th spot in the finals is likely to end up as roadkill in the Semi’s, do not question that it is a spot that will be fought for down to the last game of the season, incidentally in the rematch. Geelong must be taking the concept of playing finals seriously, as we appear to have lost Noonan’s “Power Rankings”. Geelong has improved much better than the Preds over the course of the first 5 games, but the Preds are a bit of a bogey team for Geelong. Hopefully, the Royals’ ground has not taken too much punishment to date and offers up conditions to give up a tight game.

Prediction: Geelong Buccaneers 25 – South Eastern Predators 6

Melbourne Uni Royals 5th (1 – 4) vs. Monash Warriors 3rd (3 – 2)

Last time: Monash won 32 – 7

Firstly we will look at Monash, and how it must be uneasy for this team to be sitting 3rd after almost 17 years of being looked upon as one of the top 2 teams. Monash has a chance to reboot this season, but that must come this week or they will not hit a steady rhythm prior to the finals. The Def needs to demonstrate they can close down both the run and pass game, while maximising chances for turnovers. The Offense must apply a balance of run/pass that adjusts to their opponent’s moves. No team can afford to bank all their Offense upon a single weapon, but are they slowly falling in this direction? Monash will need to turn up and take care of business in a very clinical fashion, otherwise, they will likely be questioned about becoming “too old and slow” to keep up with new kids on the block. I am not convinced they can get back that relevance tag, but with next week’s “League Bye”, there is plenty of time to rest up the old bones before their rematch against Croydon.

Melbourne Uni must be wondering what happened in the first half of the season. This was a club that got new uniforms and rebranded into one name for all three teams, with the expectation that they would enter Div 1 finals for the first time in the club’s history. So what has gone wrong? There is no doubt the team added talent on top of the 2016 team, but something is happening where the output from some has not matched the self-appraisal. This team has suffered injuries and unavailability to the wrong players, for the wrong games and too much is being carried by too few. This team still has some great talent, steady development of pride in themselves and I am still hopeful this team will start turning the corner before it is too late. The OL needs to get some of their starters back ASAP to support the run game and the Def must stop leaking TDs. But, the biggest issue for this team right now is the turnover rate which continues to haunt them every time their Offense takes control of the ball. Wet weather ball movement should work in well with the power run of the Royals, but will the wet weather just make the ball look more like a bar of soap as this game progresses.

Prediction: Monash Warriors 38 – Melbourne Uni Royals 13

Enjoy the games this weekend as we head into the League Bye to allow the players/coaches/fans to head north and watch the NCAA College Game. Let me leave you with this golden moment from Any Given Sunday

“Luther ‘Shark’ Lavay: In football, you have the offense and the defense. You can’t have one without the other. Respect will be paid.”

Aaaaah…it’s good to be back…Game Day is but one short day away. It’s like Christmas Eve for Pigskin fans in the Capital, a time when they still have all the hope in the world (some of it misplaced) that their team can and will take out this year’s Capital Bowl.

Saturday’s games will see the fans turn out at the quaint Griffith Oval – seriously, despite the lack of grandstands this ground is one of the last great suburban ovals in Canberra. Get out and watch some live football this weekend.

2016 was somewhat of a rebuilding phase for the Glads – and arguably, the rebuilding went well. From having no team in 2015 to placing a competitive fourth in 2016, can they go one (or two or three) better this year? The Glads are a team on the rise.

The Wildcats are now into about their 6th straight year of rebuilding. Gungahlin are traditionally slow starters – both in the season and in a match. They usually have some big boppers up front who are at least capable of moving some smaller defensive linemen around – but who do they have running behind that wall this year?

The Gladiators, on the other hand, have an aerial assault that is one of the better aerial attacks in the league.

If the Wildcats are to stand a chance in this match, they need to stop the pass as well as stop those dangerous little runs that an on-song Glads outfit can inject into the game. But think about this pigskin fans – what if they do? What if the Wildcats are actually good this season?

My Tip: Gladiators will tame the Wildcats running out first round winners.

With the Spears not being in the competition this year, next-best-team, the Centurions, get the opportunity to play for the Charity Bowl against reigning champions, the Firebirds.

In the Power rankings – this is a matchup between teams #1 and #2. Some argue that this SHOULD have been the matchup in last year’s Capital Bowl.

Early in the season is when the Firebirds are at their most vulnerable. They have a traditionally high turnover of uni students that, after getting battered and bruised for one season playing for the ‘birdies, decide that hanging out at and having a few drinks in the Refectory or at the Lighty while waiting for Stone Week to roll around is a much easier existence.

In contrast, hanging out at the Refectory/Lighty waiting for Stone Week to roll around is exactly how the Cents have traditionally prepared for a season – but some say that new HC Josh Gargiulo has instilled some discipline in this squad and insists that he won’t be satisfied until he can take the Cents almost all the way to a final again.

The Master v The Apprentice

Another intriguing matchup to watch will be the battle between the (ahem) old hand, Job and his former understudy, Kennett. Kennett was in a prime position to be the gunslinger at UC once Job steps down but he bounced from the ‘birdies to the Wildcats and then over to the Centurions where he finds himself the starter for the second season in a row.

My Tip: The Centurions need time to warm up and will not clip the ‘birdies wings yet. Firebirds to win in a tight one

Get out to Griffith Oval on Saturday and enjoy the start to the ACT Gridiron Senior’s Season, as well as Round 2 of the ACT Women’s Gridiron League.

Unfit CCU Forfeit.

Barbarians Clip Falcons Wings.

Upsets and Forfeits were the formula for the weekend in Div 2. Upsets are a good thing where as forfeits are a blemish on the League.

What will week 10 bring?

A full schedule of games would be a good start.

Saturday 19th August – Ranger Field, Croydon – 10:30am

Ballarat Falcons (4-4) 5th Place V Northern Raiders (7-1) 1st Place

After a tough loss the week before and dropping 2 places in the standings, the Falcons were looking to claw their way back up with a victory over the Barbarians at Royal Parade. A loss here would drop them back even further and out of the top 4. There was definitely a lot to play for in this battle.

Early on they found themselves behind by a score of 8-0 but in true Ballarat style they came back hard with impressive runs by RB #21 Peter McKay as well as big plays on defense and Special Teams. As well as the hands of the usual suspects WR #81 Eddie Carey and QB come WR #18 Duncan McIntosh.

They welcomed the return of Punter #92 Paul Jones who kicked them out of trouble and forcing the opposition to make mistakes trying to catch his long bombs. They hit the front half way through the 3rd qtr after two failed 2pt conversions with the score now 12-8 and looking like they might go on with it. That was short lived when the Barbs scored again right before the end of the 3rd.

The Falcons hit the front after a bruising TD run by McKay but with over 9 minutes left in the game anything could happen. Minutes later the opposition scored another TD and a successful 2pt conversion which had the Falcons trailing 22-18. Neither team could score again and the Falcons found themselves outside the top 4 for the first time this season.

The Raiders didn’t even break a sweat last week as their opponents finally fell victim to the dreaded forfeit. Not ideal for a team looking to make improvements to their already dominating game plan, but hey! at least no one got injured.

They will look to shut down the Falcons early preventing them from scoring as Ballarat are a confidence team. The running game will once again be the force that Ballarat will need to stop so DE #69 David Parker will need to be at his dominating best, the LB’s will have to be ultra aggressive to prevent large gains on the outside runs. The Falcons will need their key receivers to catch pretty much everything that gets thrown in their direction, before the Raiders pick it off, to have any chance of winning this.

As a non bias view I see the Raiders winning easily but as a volunteer of another club, I’m kinda hoping the Falcons pull out a major upset.

Western Crusaders had a week off but they will get their confidence from the previous weeks battle against CCU. They will also be feeling confident after the Div 1 side defeated their bogey side of the last few years. The winds are changing in Footscray, it no longer smells of just Vietnamese food.

Wow!!!!! Bendigo…….just WOW!!!! FINALLY you showed some real grit, determination and breathed some life into a season that looked like it was going nowhere. Although you were up against a side that didn’t have their star QB in the game until after half time, it was still a good display of defense and hard running up the middle.

They didn’t set the world on fire with classy QB play (2 yds passing) as they were down to their 3rd QB that’s actually their preferred RB #11 Harrison Luke. He did what he had to do which was hand off to the big RB’s. A new RB option emerged when #32 Nicholas Kastellorizios was thrown into the attack. His bursts up the middle were impressive creating havoc for the Wolves defense and helping his team to 148yds rushing on the day.

Defensively the Dragons were all over the Wolves offense like an annoying rash. Their usually prolific running game went nowhere and passing, well there just wasn’t enough time for their first time starter to pass. With a suspect TD in the final 6 seconds of the half, the Dragons took the lead. At this point, the game was not anything to brag about but it was pretty physical out there.

Bendigo was able to add a 28yard Field Goal midway in the 3rd qtr after a flurry of big runs making the score 9-0. A change of QB by the opposition saw a more familiar site with a 52yd scramble for the score, the XP was good and suddenly it looked like the Dragons were vulnerable once again.

After a few desperate minutes at the end, the Dragons were able to defend the end zone and caused the 2nd biggest upset of the season winning 9-7. Surely that made the 2hr drive back home a lot more enjoyable.

In the first meeting, Bendigo blew a 10-0 lead and the Crusaders had their 2nd win of the year. Will this happen again or have the Dragons finally found what they have been missing for the first 9 weeks? Division 1 hadn’t started then so I think this might make 2 wins in a row for Bendigo. If the Crusaders can slow down the running game of Bendigo and give their own QB some time to pass, they may squeeze out a win in a close game.

The Wolves had the opportunity to get a game clear of the rest of the pack (pun definitely intended) with a win over the struggling Dragons. Most would have penciled in the win for Melton, most wouldn’t have known that QB #7 Matthew Krul wouldn’t be starting. That immediately changed the shape of the game as back up QB #10 Mathew Davies had his first ever start in a game as well as his first reps for the season, unfortunately, it showed.

From the outset, the Dragons were all over the Wolves running game and passing was almost impossible from the constant pressure from the D line. Davies did complete 3 passes for short gains but was let down by a fumble after a 12yd reception on one of them. At the half they had only gained 10yds of total offense. The defense held up their own for the most part of the 1st half but bad field position wasn’t ideal for the constant barrage of run plays. DE #52 Nathan Fankhauser had 6 tackles in the half and looked dominant.

The beginning of the 3rd qtr saw the defense on the field and again the run game of Bendigo put pressure on them. After marching most of the way down field they held the Dragons to a 28yd field goal and starting QB #7 Matthew Krul took over the offense. Krul immediately had an impact running 52yds for the score and the XP was converted. Melton had found the spark they’d been lacking in the first half. The score was now 7-9 in favour of Bendigo.

Although the offense was able to move the ball more and the defense held the Dragons to no more scores, they required a big play or two but no one was able to put their hand up for that job. Krul constantly aired it out with no luck, he ran well as always and in a very tense last 2 minutes the Wolves failed to find the end zone, losing 7-9 but remaining in 2nd spot. After having rushed for -8yds in the first half as a team, Krul managed 100yds himself on 7 carries.

Monash took on Ballarat in far better form than the last meeting they had earlier in the year. A win would put them in the top 4 and a loss would keep them out. Hopefully the bye week didn’t have any negative effect on them.

Early on in the contest they took an 8-0 lead but as expected the opposition came back hard to take a 12-8 lead midway through the 3rd qtr. Monash were heavily relying on the run game with QB #29 Richie Truong being the main guy again. His scrambling ability is up there with the best, managing to avoid sacks and turn what would normally be large losses into gains. RB #42 Montell Wickremasinghe, RB #22 Johnny Chen and RB #16 Jack Hulley were the support cast for Truong.

In the dying seconds of the 3rd they hit back with a rushing TD to Wickremasinghe then completed the comeback with a QB sneak to Truong sealing the deal with a 22-18 victory. On defense CB #40 Dan Edwards was best, breaking up a number of passes.

The Barbs face still one of the better run defenses in the competition. The scrambling ability of Truong will play a major role as well as the form of Wickremasinghe. The receivers will have to hold onto catches which has proven difficult so far. The Wolves will hope that Krul will be able to start on Sunday and will want to start strongly on defense. Special teams may play a big role in deciding the outcome of this match up.

I’m predicting a very close contest that might see more than 50 points scored. Could we even see another draw?

Prediction: Wolves ?? Barbarians ??

BYE – CCU.

It happened, like most seasons the F word has appeared once again.

FORFEIT. Due to injuries and the availability of some players due to work commitments

My season preview stated that the merger of Pakenham Silverbacks and Berwick Miners was a good move. I think I’ve been proven drastically wrong and that maybe I should keep my opinions to myself, but where is the fun in that? How can a club lose 80% of their Championship winning starting lineup in just one off season?

A strong recruiting drive for next year will go a long way in saving this young club from going the way of the Gippsland Gladiators, or suffer the same fate as far too many clubs have in the 33 year history of Gridiron Victoria. Maybe the League need to take more control at club level, they probably don’t have the manpower or time to do so considering it is an Amateur sport and that’s a discussion for another time, best left to people who know more of the goings on than I do.

NOTE: All thoughts and comments are my own and not of the Melton Wolves Gridiron Club. I write these articles for fun and letting other clubs/players know what happened the previous week.

I hope you all enjoy reading and I welcome any feedback. I do it for the love of the game.

This week could prove to be the turning point for all the teams in division 2. For all teams except the Raiders and CCU, winning this week is vital. Winning will prove calibre and character, losing will only prove one thing. Losers

Struck by the division 2 curse. Why is it that the top teams are the ones that are forfeited against? It must just be a coincidence…..
Not much to comment on here. Nobody wins when there’s no football but the one silver lining that can be taken is the conservation of their championship leading players. A week for recovery and no injuries is a good week for any team.
No sitting comfortably atop the Division 2 ladder with a 2 game buffer, the Raiders look guaranteed to hold onto the position and favouritism into the finals

Ba-da-ding, ba-da-boom! One win and up 3 rankings? I’ve got to be mad! It is, however, a strong reflection of how even the competition is between 2nd and 5th place.

Monash are starting to look the goods. Offensively they are supported experienced running backs who run behind their pads and a Quarterback that is making good decisions. And then when that isn’t enough, they throw some rookie receivers in the mix who are full of energy and confusion and create manage to create an effective offensive unit. I’m certainly not saying they are fantastic but unlike the majority of the teams below them, they force teams to play sound, solid defence and not get by luck.

To give them some credit, they came up against a surprisingly good defensive performance against the Dragons. What let them down against the boys from Bendigo was their previously dominant run game. Their defence still played well and even the backup Quarterback was admirable but unfortunately no run game.

I do have great concerns for Quarterback Matt Krul. Broken hand and hamstring issues, Krul stepped in for the second half. Despite looking like their best option to win the game, his mobility decreased with every snap and throwing proved more difficult every attempt. They want to guarantee a finals position as quickly as they can but will they cost themselves their best player? Or will the rest him and be patient in finding the wins required?

Will the slide continue? Let’s see what they have against the in-form Barbarians

Nearly every week the Falcons win the turnover battle. How? I’m not really sure. Usually that guarantees wins. However, when the Falcons win, you must accredit the turnovers. But when they lose, criticism must go to both their general play. If they want to play deep into the finals, they must polish their play. Don’t listen to Mister Miyagi guys, just wax on.

5. Western Crusaders II (4-3) Down 1 Power Rankings.

The run game has finally come together with the action in the backfield coming together, now here’s there chance to put it into action against a strong Defence. Combining that with a wirely defence that seems to do what it needs to do each week to help winning, the CRU2 are coming together at the right time. This week, however, could become a season defining moment for the Crusaders division 2 side. They narrowly beat Bendigo earlier in the year with some feeling it to be lucky, here’s their chance to send a message to the rest of the competition that they are ready for some finals football.

Technically Bendigo isn’t out of the finals race yet, however, their best chances rely on Casey Cardinia sending shockwaves through the league so hopes aren’t high in the Dragons camp. But one thing is for sure, they seem pretty willing to ruin some dreams of those above them.

Conceding to the lack of Quarterback play, the Dragons look to have completely re-jigged to their offence to a heavy package that runs it down your throat. It’s certainly not pretty but off the back of a very strong defence and field position battle display last week, the Dragons could cause a stir. After finishing their matches against the top of the ladder Raiders and Wolves, the Dragons have the easiest run into the finals out of all teams. Perhaps this could be the catalyst of a miracle at work?…..NAH

After Forfeiting against the top placed Raiders last week, this week see’s CCU with the Division 2 bye. Having two weeks off in a row for a team struggling with injuries and numbers gives this writer no confidence that they will see the season out. I wonder what the Sportsbet odd’s on them forfeiting again before the season finishes. One thing for sure, I’m sure they’ll find the energy to muster a side against the 6th placed Dragons.

]]>http://gridirondownunder.com/2017/08/gv-division-2-power-rankings-week-10-2/feed/026242http://gridirondownunder.com/2017/08/gv-division-2-power-rankings-week-10-2/GQ appoint Head Coaches for 2018http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GridironDownUnder/~3/Tv_wE6MH9gQ/
http://gridirondownunder.com/2017/08/gq-appoint-head-coaches-for-2018/#respondTue, 15 Aug 2017 02:47:40 +0000http://gridirondownunder.com/?p=26227Gridiron Queensland has announced the appointment of Head Coaches for their Men’s and Women’s teams which will compete at the 2018 Australian Gridiron League.

Coach John ‘Hollywood’ Roe has been appointed as the Head Coach for the Men’s Sundevils, and Coach Andy Miller as the Head Coach for the Women’s Sundevils, full release below.

Gridiron Queensland is the defending champions from the 2016 AGL when they defeated the Gridiron West Raiders.

Gridiron NSW are also looking for their next Head Coach advertising for the role on Facebook today, you can read a full description here.

At Gridiron Down Under we would like to wish congratulations to both John Roe & Andy Miller.

The wait is over – this Saturday (August 19) sees the return of the ACT Gridiron Senior season.

While 5 teams will vie for the right to hoist the Capital Bowl trophy in November, skeptics say the race may actually be down to much fewer teams than that.

Below are the pre-season power rankings for the Seniors.

1. UC Firebirds

With the Spears not entering a team this year (or maybe even if they had), the Firebirds are the front runners to take the Capital Bowl in 2017. If they do so, it will be their first back-to-back Capital Bowls since 2010/2011. But hey, if it wasn’t for that pesky 4-peat from the Spears, the Firebirds may have won all but one of the last 10 Capital Bowls.

But it’s not all smooth sailing for the Birdies – word on the street is that the coffers at UC are empty after splurging on championship rings last season, leaving little to spare in the ongoing contract negotiations with key players.

Watch out for: Veteran Quarterback Luke Job, who in combination with the ghost of former Coach Shawn Willis’ training regime should see the Firebirds as a well drilled unit and the one to beat.

2. Centurions

The not-sure-where-they-are-from Centurions went tantalisingly close to tasting success last year before ultimately succumbing to the ‘Close enough is good enough’ mentality that has seen them narrowly lose games in seasons gone by.

With Peter Lilley not forming part of the coaching staff this year, the Centurions are suffering from a serious lack of players imported from the United States. New HC Josh Gargiulo says that the Cents have a plan to get by, however asking former College punter CJ “Sunshine” Laros to speak in an American accent wherever possible so that the boys don’t find themselves in unfamiliar territory.

One to watch: Playboy Quarterback Beau Kennett – a journeyman that now sees himself settling into season 2 with the Cents. Can he steer the team one step closer to a Capital Bowl appearance this year?

3. Woden Gladiators

Coming off the back of their successful 2015 recruitment campaign the Glads are locked in a tight battle with the ‘nadoes as to whom will field the oldest side this year. Club stalwarts Dom Radman and George Stosic will no doubt go around for their 48th and 46th seasons respectively, but all everyone wants to know is “Will Finlay play?”

The Glads are going to have to come out firing early – will they be serious Capital Bowl contenders or risk becoming Canberra’s most disappointing team in Green.

One to watch: Who will start at QB? Also, watch that guy who plays in the Orange Helmet – deceptive.

4. Tuggeranong Tornadoes

The Tornadoes are back! One of the oldest clubs in the league and arguably the country make their return to ACT Gridiron football after a year in the wilderness.

However, the question on everybody’s lips is – who still plays for them?

2017 sees a new logo (above) for the ‘nadoes. And 2017 also sees new recruitment strategies from the boys in blue. Following on from the success of the Tornadoes Women recruiting on Tinder, we assume that the Seniors followed suit and bombarded Tinder, Uber and Grindr in an attempt to bolster numbers.

One to watch: Head coach, captain, Club President, ACT Gridiron President Cody Field. Is there any position on the field he doesn’t/hasn’t play/ed?

5. Gungahlin Wildcats

Remember that year the Wildcats played for the Capital Bowl? Me either.

Actually, I do. It was 2011 – back in the T-Mac and Joe Taula days. How long ago that must seem.

Gungahlin enters this year’s competitions as favourites for the wooden spoon. There is nothing that this reviewer would like to see more than the Wildcats being contenders – but I just can’t see it being this year. But hey – get out there and prove me wrong Wildcats.

One to watch: Club stalwarts, the Amsteins brothers – they keep turning up and delivering week-in week-out.

The Gridiron Queensland 2017 season will kick off on Saturday for all competitions. The Gold Coast Stingrays will go into 2017 as the favourite after taking out the last 6 straight Sun Bowls and for the past two seasons winning the “Triple Crown” taking out all three competitions.

In the Colts competition, the Stingrays who have a strong Colts teams will be entering two teams know as “Stingrays Blue” and “Stingrays White”. The two teams will meet in week one so it will be interesting to see if splitting up the team will weaken them or will we see both teams in the final, only time will tell.

In the past two seasons, the Stingrays have controlled the women’s competition as well as the rest of GV, the big question will be can another team lift up and challenge the Gold Coast. The Logan City Jets seem to be the most likely to challenge the Stingrays but we may also see Ravens challenge for the title.

We would like to invite anyone who may be interested in becoming a correspondent for the Gridiron Queensland league for Gridiron Down Under, please email webmaster@gridirondownunder.com if you are interested.

Colts

]]>http://gridirondownunder.com/2017/08/gridiron-queensland-opening-weekend/feed/026178http://gridirondownunder.com/2017/08/gridiron-queensland-opening-weekend/Gridiron Victoria Division 1 – Week 9 (or Week 5 of Div 1)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GridironDownUnder/~3/j14K4fEQbtk/
http://gridirondownunder.com/2017/08/gridiron-victoria-division-1-week-9-or-week-5-of-div-1/#respondThu, 10 Aug 2017 23:27:56 +0000http://gridirondownunder.com/?p=26185Reporting from BrizVegas this week, this is just an old fart’s view on what he feels might happen this week. I dropped in standings as they have more relevance leading into the mid-mark of the season. So before I head down to watch Round 1 of GQ, let’s see what dribble I can drop this week.

South Eastern Predators 6th (0-4) vs. Croydon Rangers 2nd (3-1)

Boom went the Rangers as they signalled their intent to take the #2 spot in GV, holding the spot due to beating the Warriors in Round 2. The Rangers continue to make the quiet strides, lulling most of their opponents into a false sense of security. By all accounts, the score against the Royals was somewhat flattering for their opposition, although few of them would publicly declare this to be the fact. Croydon analyses their opponents “mentally”, looking for the cracks to appear so that they can strike. Knowing the Royals can be somewhat of a confidence team, they took to the air quickly and deflated much of their hope from the start. Then they handed the reigns to a Def that contains enough experience to know how to control and protect a lead. Every year I look at Croydon to drop a notch down the rankings, and each year their gameplay proves me wrong. This week will see Croydon score at will, rotate players needing game time and do all possible to avoid injuries. The Rangers will use the Preds as a guide to see how prepared for the following week.

The Preds continue to concentrate on growth and development, but this week they face the onslaught of Croydon. This will not be a Homecoming of victory, but much can still be gained by those players who show they have the character that it takes to build a solid unit. The players need to remain positive with each other, understanding that no-one is above mistakes on the field. The Preds only need to look through the history of the competition’s stronger units, where the best have come from teams that took 83-0 losses and built a strong future in the process. Although, if the weather drops moisture on the ground, it will keep the score much closer than I am expecting. This will be tough on the scoreboard, but another step forward if they remain committed to the program.

Prediction: Croydon Rangers 58 – South Eastern Predators 0

Western Crusaders 1st (4-0) vs. Monash Warriors 3rd (3-1)

Match of the Round many are saying. The return of the VicBowl combatants. The heavyweights finally get a chance to slug it out. This will be a great game, but something worries me about whether Monash is ready for the Cru. The Cru has gone from strength to strength. If you look at many past seasons, we have watched the lower teams making small gains towards the top teams. 2017 is a completely different case. The Cru is demonstrating a tsunami like an approach to their game, opening up scores that are not derogatory to their opponents, they are merely indicative as to what has been built just over the bridge. Will this game signal the changing of the guard? In my opinion, it was already signalled, but this game could be the icing on the cake. They have recruited the perfect pieces to fill the gaps of 2016, offering up an array of weapons on every line. Like most teams, they too have players they can’t afford to be watching from the sidelines, but they have been able to maintain the higher healthy contingent from week to week. This is a team I’d pay to watch play against the champions of the other states, but for now, they happily settle for their forthcoming championship.

Monash is completely the reverse story of the Cru. After their Round 1 dominance over the Royals, they have been rather “meh”, to coin the expression. Sure they had a good win over the Preds, but they are a rebuilding team that would rather lose against the best than to beat the worse. The Rangers beat them in what becomes a defining result, and they scrapped past Geelong. Geelong? Geelong! I understand that some key injuries were in play for the Warriors, but that is simply too significant of a drop in standard to even suggest to me that the Cru have any teams likely to push them. The Warriors are a proud unit, and some of their club may be offended by my observations, but the time is now when this unit must stand up and stop riding on the coat tails of past successes. Every week you write a new chapter in your playing history, a new chapter of your team’s history and a new chapter in the club’s history. Let’s see what chapter they are prepared to write this week, for so far this season the story is just above average.

These 2 teams both appeared to reverse their 2018 directions last week. After one of the most hyped pre-seasons, the Royals have failed to impress against any opponent thus far. Sure, they managed to manhandle a rebuilding Preds, but in a rather unspectacular manner. My expectations and hopes for the Royals have not been met yet, but I am sure much of this has been already addressed in-house. The Offense has no firepower, with poor support for the running game coming from their OL. A few plays here and there are not sufficient if they want to be in the finals. The Def also needs a consistent contribution of 11 players on the field. TDs are leaking through too easily for any Offense to fear coming up against them, and they must start the game switched on or they will get scored on quickly again. I flagged my concern with the Royals coming into this game as I believe the Royal’s bogey side is the mud kings from Geelong. This game will either set-up a great run towards the finals, or it will become a shattering letdown for many.

Like a spider waiting in its web, Geelong finally struck an almost caused the upset of the season. Geelong had no right to even be in that game, and yet it took a few errors for Monash to fall into the win. So the question is whether I believe Geelong have really improved that much or managed a closer game by their opposition underestimating them. I am just not sure, as we know Noonan et al will always play their cards close to their chest. Geelong’s DBs received almost as many passes as the Warrior’s WRs did, and they must be relishing coming up against a diminished OL that may force too many erratic throws. If this turns out to be the case, I would expect Geelong to unleash a series of blitzes that may not be containable once momentum sways to Geelong. This game has the potential to be a shootout, but the weather may have something to say about that. Playing for the 4th place in the Finals, potentially a game that could confirm the changing of guards in GV, this game is my Match of the Round. “Run, run and then run some more” will be the theme of this game, so it will be the better passing game or better LB corps that determine the winner in this game. Sorry Noonan, despite all the pleading, the pressure in your squad to back it up and potentially set-up a “back to back wins” scenario.

Prediction: Geelong Buccaneers 22 – Melbourne University Royals 21

So now I shall wander over to my Mexican friend, slap a slice of lime down its neck, and we shall enjoy the history altering stories that come out when some old ghosts of the game get together for a beer or 30.

The ol’ copy and paste of the Gridiron Victoria Division 2 ladder. Followed by some obligatory comments on how team sucks. Just the usual…

1. Northern Raiders (6-1) Same Power Ranking

Shout out to Matt Jermy, great to see him out on the field again. Even if he comes looking for me on every single play. I mean, I can expect from the majority of my readers however I thought you were different.
Moving on, the Raiders were clinical against the Dragons in week 8. Playing funny buggers in the backfield, their multiple run options confused the Dragons defence and ran riot. For years I’ve heard President Matt Jenkins brag about these capabilities, its great to see it finally executed. If they yards can be stemmed on the ground, the weakness is still in the passing game. During De Ciccio’s absence, the back up has done admirably but still has room to improve in the air.

2. Melton Wolves (5-2) Up 1 Power Ranking

After fixing up their hiccup from week 1, watching how Melton adjusts in the second half of the year will be interesting. After delivering consistency week in-week out, can they show diversity in their football and hold off the challenges. This week they face a Dragons team down to their QB3. Last time it was 27-8, time to flex your muscle and blow them out of the water.

3. Ballarat Falcons (4-3) Down 1 Power Ranking

Expectedly the Falcons couldn’t stop Melton however they kept their noses in it. Down one ranking but still holding strong at number 3.

4. Western Crusaders II (4-3) Up 1 Power Ranking

I will give credit where credit is due. I have been tough on the Crusaders since the start of the season on taking care of the Football. Often that has been their offensive downfall. But after watching CRU 2 this weekend and their great little weekly video’s they post each week, it seems they are on top of this issue.
Albeit, they were up against a woeful CCU side, they still put them away as I’d expect from any class team.

A week off when the Crusaders Division 1 team plays the Warriors……how convenient (couldn’t help myself).

5. Monash Barbarians (3-2-1) Down 1 Power Ranking

Coming off the bye week see’s Monash in the match of the round against Ballarat. If they can knock off the plucky Falcons then I’ll happily move them up the rankings 2 spots. That’s all I’ve got for the Barbarians this week, let’s see what they’ve got.

6. Bendigo Dragons (1-5-1) Same Power Ranking

‘Low on numbers but plenty of heart’ was the headline for the Bendigo boys in week 7. Unfortunately, it’s followed by the week 8 headline of ‘low on numbers and low on heart’. Bendigo was woeful against the Raiders. Their offence showed no potency and was only made yards when some big boys were asked to run the ball. God help them next week.

7. Casey Cardinia United (0-7) Same Power Ranking

Power Rankings? No power here. In last weeks game against Cru 2 it was as if CCU had brought a knife to a gun fight. Struggling in numbers, they struggled on the field.